With the grand festival officially over, the city of Velgrath gradually slipped back into its usual rhythm. The music had faded, the stalls were taken down, and the once-vibrant streets settled into their ordinary hum of daily life. For Shirou, things also returned to their old routine—almost.
Well, almost everything.
There was one major difference: he no longer had to sneak out through the inn's second-floor window like some fugitive. No more timed escapes or clumsy landings into alleyways to avoid Miss Flora's ever-curious questions. Now, thanks to what Shirou wittily referred to as the "Amelia Effect," he could simply walk through the front door without any trouble.
Yes, something about Amelia's presence—her intense aura, that quiet but commanding stare—had reshaped the dynamics at the inn. Miss Flora, who once delighted in cornering Shirou with long-winded gossip, now kept her conversations brief. Perhaps it was self-preservation. After all, the last thing she wanted was Amelia walking into her inn and glaring holes through her soul.
Shirou chuckled to himself as he finished getting dressed, brushing off his clothes and strapping his sword to his waist. The morning sun streamed through the wooden blinds, painting the room in a warm, golden hue. He stretched once, then made his way downstairs.
As he descended, he spotted Miss Flora behind the counter, as punctual as ever. Her eyes met his, and he could already see the faint glimmer of excitement lighting them up—an eager look that often meant she was preparing to trap him in another story from her youth.
"Off to work, I suppose?" she asked with a hopeful smile.
Shirou quickly pulled out the trump card he'd prepared for just such a situation. "Oh no, not today. I'm supposed to meet Amelia."
Her expression dropped faster than a broken chandelier. The light in her eyes dimmed instantly, and the corners of her smile faltered. It was as though he'd mentioned a ghost.
"I-I see… Then you should get going. Wouldn't want her waiting, right?" she stammered, her voice catching in her throat.
Shirou nodded with a polite smile, pretending not to notice her discomfort. "Right. I'll be off, then."
As he stepped outside and closed the door behind him, he muttered under his breath, "The Amelia Effect."
His first stop of the day was the usual—Darwin's workplace. The sun was still low in the sky, and the streets bustled with early risers heading off to open shops or prepare their stalls. When Shirou arrived, the familiar faces of the crew lit up, greeting him like a welcome companion.
Work progressed smoothly, as always. Darwin, the gruff but kind-hearted supervisor, gave Shirou his pay for the day and even tossed in a few compliments. After receiving both money and praise, Shirou said his goodbyes and made his way toward his next destination.
Today, he wanted confirmation—solid proof of the progress he'd been making.
His next stop was Elen's Training Gym.
Although only a few days had passed since his last visit, Shirou had a feeling that something had changed within him. He had a strong suspicion he was nearing the boundary between the Apprentice and Adept stages. It might have only been a short time, but with the dungeon runs, the battles, and the system supporting him, the change felt tangible.
When he reached the gym, everything looked just as it had before. The same stone structure, the familiar metallic clang of weapons from within, and the smell of sweat and steel. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Inside, Sherin was manning the front desk. She looked up from her ledger and gave a small nod. "Back again? More training, I assume, sir?"
"Actually," Shirou said, stepping closer, "before training, I'd like to check my level—if that's possible."
Sherin tilted her head, brushing a lock of silver hair behind her ear. "Of course, though I must say, it hasn't been very long since your last check. I wouldn't expect much change."
"Yeah, I figured. Just want to confirm something," Shirou replied casually.
She gave a small shrug and stood. "We can do that here. Just don't get your hopes up too high, alright?"
He nodded, and she gestured for him to follow. As they walked toward the side room where the monitor and mana detection sphere were kept, Sherin spoke again.
"You know," she said, "reaching the next level isn't easy. Some people never move past a certain point, no matter how long they train. If levelling up were just a matter of time and effort, there'd be hundreds of Mythic and Sage-level warriors roaming around. But there aren't. It takes more than hard work—sometimes it's luck, lineage, or something unexplainable."
Shirou walked silently beside her, listening. Her words echoed something he'd heard often.
Still, he thought, I'm different. I have the system. I gain experience from battle, from effort, from growth. And unlike others, I'm not bound by normal limits. Who knows what level I can reach? Maybe even something above Mythic…
Finally, they reached the chamber with the glowing white sphere. It stood silently on its pedestal, pulsing with soft light. Beside it was the monitor device that would display the results. Sherin moved to her usual place next to the monitor.
"You ready?" she asked.
Shirou nodded and placed his hand on the sphere.
Just like before, he guided a stream of mana into it. The sphere responded almost immediately, sending a warm pulse of energy back into him. He could feel the mana tracing through his veins, scanning his body and flowing toward his core. Then, like a tide pulling back, the mana returned to the sphere.
He turned toward Sherin and opened his mouth to speak. "So, what lev—"
But the look on her face stopped him cold.
Sherin stood frozen in place, her eyes wide, mouth slightly agape as she stared at the monitor.
"I… I… Can you place your hand on the sphere again, please?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Shirou frowned but complied, repeating the process exactly as before. The reaction was the same.
This time, her disbelief only deepened. She blinked, rubbed her eyes, and leaned closer to the monitor.
"I think the device might be broken," she muttered, clearly trying to rationalize what she was seeing.
"What does it show?" Shirou asked calmly.
She hesitated, then finally said, "It… it says you're at the early Adept stage."
Shirou clenched his fists, a surge of satisfaction rising in his chest. I was expecting late Apprentice, but early Adept? Already?
He took a deep breath. "I've only completed 30 floors of the dungeon… If my guess is right, then when I hit the 50th floor, I might reach the Ascendant level. And beyond that—who knows? There are still two more tiers. Just have to trust the system."
Sherin shook her head, clearly rattled. "Maybe you can come back tomorrow. We'll have someone inspect the machine."
"No need," Shirou replied. "Your device is working just fine."
"But—"
"Is there any fee for checking the level?" he asked.
"No, sir. Level checks are free."
"Then I guess I'll be leaving now."
She gave a dazed nod. "Yes, sir. Have a good day…"
As Shirou exited the room, Sherin rubbed her eyes again and stared at the monitor.
"…Must be broken," she muttered.